Jeff Keen

1996 – “Artwar” Expanded Cinema show, Fabrica, Brighton and London Filmmakers Co-op.
Exhibition of paintings and 3D objects within which a one-off performance/screening is held. Developed from “Rayday Redivus” exhibition at Maze Gallery, Brighton where a series of changing film loops played on the hour.
‘Jeff is interested in creating something that takes his work “beyond the screen”, sometimes literally by painting and destroying the screen itself. The exhibition, installations and performance all draw attention to the nature of mechanical reproduction that cinema consist of.’ – Jane Finnis, Lighthouse.

1994 – “Artwar” shown at Viper International Film and Video Festival in Lucerne.

1993 – Experimenta 93/94 – Animation Project for Channel 4 commissioned by them and shown on TV. “Artwar” 1993

1987 – The Elusive Sign: 10 years of British Avant-Garde Film and Video. Arts Council/British Council exhibition
Tate Britain then extensive tour abroad
“Victory Thru Film Power” shown as part of a programme.

1986 – Charting Time: an exhibition of artist’s drawings, notes and diagrams for film and video – Serpentine Gallery
“Blatzom” notebooks shown alongside work by Derek Jarman, Liz Rhodes, Peter Gidal etc ‘Jeff Keen’s notebooks occupy an ambiguous status in relation to his films. They are not preparatory sketches or storyboards but rather like Surrealist “films on paper”. Their ‘narratives’ continue and extend the development of his film characters such as Dr. Gaz.’ – Steve Hawley “Though complete in themselves they work playful variations around the themes and images of the film” – Jeff Keen

1985 – Surrealist Traces: Three programmes of films tracing the influence of surrealism on avant-garde cinema.
Toured: The Watershed, Bristol; New Cinema, Nottingham; Metro Cinema, Derby; Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Aberdeen Art Gallery, Tate Gallery and other venues.
“Mad Love” shown next to Cocteau’s “Blood of a poet”
“A collection of jokes, trailers and photoplays” Mad Love is Keen’s homage to Breton’s ‘L’Amour Fou’ – the wild love that exceeds all boundaries. It avoids Surrealism’s taste for fine art and high fashion, plumping instead for Surrealism’s fascination with the bizarre and exotic streak in popular art.’ – Michael O’Pray

1985 – British Film and Video – The New Pluralism – Tate Britain
Selected by Tina Kean and Michael O’Pray.
‘Mad Love’
‘Although Jeff Keen’s film dates from the 1970’s, it has been re-edited in recent years. His work, in it’s fascination with the traditional objects of surrealist humour, eg film idols, detective stories, film serials and comics, is the product of a filmic imagination which is now shared by a younger generation of filmmakers who are attracted to the junk of popular culture. Mad Love (Keen’s homage to Breton’s ‘L’Amour Fou’) is a collection of jokes, trailers and photoplays immersed in Keen’s obsession with the bizarre and exotic.’ – Michael O’Pray

1980 – Unpacked Films, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol (Arts Council Exhibition)
Film shows and exhibition panels. “24 Films” and “The Cartoon Theatre of Dr Gaz” shown alongside Maya Deren, Stan Brakhage, Robert Breer etc.

Festival ’79, Brighton. Week of performance (Jeff Keen expanded cinema show) alongside Ivor Cutler, Vivian Stanshall, David Toop, Lol Coxhill, Bow Gamelan Ensemble etc

Group exhibition in mid 1970s at Brighton Open Studios where Jeff shared studio space with artist friends and collaborators John Upton and Gary Turner

Expanded Cinema Performance with Jas H Duke (famously interrupted by Viennese Actionist Otto Muehl) – The 1st International Underground Film Festival, National Film Theatre, London, 1970.

The Autumn Feast (1961) made with Piero Heliczer was shown internationally including alongside Warhol’s films in New York + the Expanded Cinema Festival at Casino Knokke Le Zoute in Belgium 1967.

1966 – Fluxus Group exhibition at Brian Lane’s Gallery 10 in Blackheath

Participated in the Gustav Metzger’s Destruction in Art Symposium in London 1966

Group exhibitions in Brighton in mid 1960s with Laurence Cutting, Tony Sinden and Bill Butler:

1963 – ‘Raymeat’ exhibition at the Book Cellar

1965 – ‘Future City’ exhibition with Lawrence Cutting – empty shop space

1968 – set up ‘The Acme Generating Co’ with Tony Sinden in Brighton for live performances.

1968 – “Flux and Flix” exhibition/film installation with Tony Sinden and Jas H Duke in an empty shop

Group exhibitions in early 1960s – Better Books, London

Jeff also regularly did film shows, other poetry readings and performances here during the 60s.
Includes joint exhibitions with Jeff Nuttall of art and poetry + Battle of the projectors with Piero Heliczer.

1962 – Regent Street Polytechnic film show – ‘Wail’ & ‘Like the Time is Now’ shown with film by Bruce Connor etc